He Mihi Whakatau

Role

Since 1998, Te Reo Mārama (TRM) was dedicated, on behalf of the
Tupeka-Auahi Kore
community and the wider Māori community, to tobacco
resistance using advocacy as the method of conveying Māori concerns regarding tobacco.

TRM was named by kaumātua Amster Reedy to reflect
the core job of enlightening people about tobacco issues that were
relevant to Māori.

The main role undertaken was to advocate evidence-based positions on
tobacco-related issues at a local, national and international level.

As of 30 June 2010 TRM will cease to fully operate in this role as funding for the work undertaken, via the Ministry of Health contract, was withdrawn in 2009. Instead the focus will be solely on the Māori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on tobacco.

Resistance

Māori have a tradition of resistance within Aotearoa-New Zealand.

Tobacco and the exploitative Tobacco Industry, that exists for profit over life, is a barrier to Māoridom fulfilling its full potential.

Resisting the Industry that profits from Māori illness and premature death continues that tradition of resistance.

Vision

‘Kia mau te kaupapa
Tupeka Kore mō ngā uri Māori’

In 2006 a vision of a
Tupeka Kore - Tobacco-free
was presented to the National Smokefree Conference.

If the often quoted:
'He aha te mea nui?
(What is the most important thing?)
He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata!'
(It's people, people, people), is to have any relevance in the 21st Century then a vision of Māori without tobacco inflicting its deadly toll is both aspirational and inspirational.

Continuing to lose over
600
Māori lives each year to tobacco is not visionary - it depletes our most precious resource
'He Tāngata'
.

Legacy

The ultimate legacy that lies within a
Kaupapa Tupeka Kore
framework is improved health, economic freedom and the ability to transmit cultural knowledge longer as 15 years of life are gained by being a
Tupeka Kore: Tobacco-free
Nation.